A Blog About India

India is one of the larger countries in the world (7th largest to be exact), but most of us don’t know much about it. We really should though as the country has a very interesting history and noteworthy facts. We think that you will be surprised with a few of these, so here are some fact highlights:

War History

India has never invaded a single country in its entire history. There aren’t too many large countries who can make the same claim. We think that this is pretty special.

Obesity Epidemic

Obesity never used to be much of an issue in India, however, since westernized foods have become more obtainable the weight issues have increased and so has the amount of health issues.

The Home Of Chess

A long long time ago chess was invented and India is where it was created. Its origins date back to the 6th century AD.

Post Offices

An interesting fact is that India has the most amount of post offices in the world, greater than any other country.

University

Believe it or not, but the world’s first University was established in India. Established in 700BC, this University offered 60 subjects and attracted students from all over the world. This is a very impressive feat!

Diamonds

India is a large miner of diamonds and up until 1896, it was the only diamond miner in the world.

Yoga

Yoga first originated in India. Yoga has now been in existence for approximately 5,000 years!

Sources

During my time in India, I noticed quite a few very different things to what I am used to. There were quite a few not really worth mentioning and some that are. Some of the really interesting random things that I learnt about India are:

More Than Our 4 Seasons

For most of us we only have four seasons in one year – Spring, summer, autumn, and winter. But according to India’s Hindu calendar, they actually have six seasons. They are spring, summer, monsoon, autumn, winter, and prevernal. I have never heard of another country having more than four seasons. Interesting!

Snoring?

It is strange but the whole time while I was in India I didn’t hear anyone snore. I am not sure if it is actually uncommon that people don’t snore in India or if I was just lucky not to hear anyone snore. So I did a search on the internet to find out more but couldn’t find any information. If you know anything about this topic, feel free to send me an email.

It’s Illegal To Take Indian Money Out Of India

I almost learnt this the hard way, but it is actually illegal to take Indian money (Rupees) out of India. So if you travel to India, make sure you either spend your last Rupees or exchange them back to your preferred currency before leaving India.

Pollution In The Major Cities

If you ever visit one of the major cities in India, you will notice straight away how poor the air quality is due to all the pollution. I definitely found it quite difficult to breathe but I am sure you would get used to it after a while. I have actually heard that being in Mumbai for just one day is similar to smoking 100 cigarettes. That’s how bad it actually is.

Sources

When we traveled to India we expected not to see many things especially in the food industry. We expected McDonald’s but not too many other western fast food chains. But we also saw Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks (not quite fast food). So it almost became a game of what foods are not in India. Here is a list of a few that we couldn’t find:

Wendy’s Fast Food

We didn’t see Wendy’s here in India which was a relief. There already is enough fast food here that they don’t need anymore. However, I did a little digging around on this topic and it looks like Wendy’s is on its way to India, but it just hasn’t gotten there yet.

Dairy Queen

Here is another major fast food company not in India. But unfortunately again, Dairy Queen has plans to expand into India shortly. Well at least they will be able to have delicious ice cream cake, not sure about the rest of the food though.

Protein Bars

This is one that I actually would have liked to have seen in India. I do enjoy eating protein bars especially on the go but couldn’t seem to find them anywhere. They could be there somewhere but we certainly didn’t see any.

Meat Pies

Another one we would have loved to have seen. Sometimes I get some major cravings for meat pies but I couldn’t find one appetizing enough to satisfy my cravings. Oh well, maybe one day…

Jack In The Box

Finally, we certainly didn’t see Jack In The Box fast food chain in India – thank you! We are not fans of Jack In The Box so we were happy not to see them there. Also, it looks like at the moment that Jack In The Box does not have any plans yet to head to India. We will see how they go.